San Diego Unified is on track for voter approval of $3.5 billion bond measure as ballots show public support

The E3 Civic High charter school in downtown San Diego was built using funds from Proposition S, a $2.1 billion bond measure that was passed in 2008 for the San Diego Unified School District. The district is going for another $3.5 billion bond measure in Tuesday's election.

The E3 Civic High charter school in downtown San Diego was built using funds from Proposition S, a $2.1 billion bond measure that was passed in 2008 for the San Diego Unified School District. The district is going for another $3.5 billion bond measure in Tuesday's election.

The measure had 61 percent approval with 73 percent of precincts reporting, as of 1:45 a.m. The measure needs 55 percent approval to pass.

The bond measure, called Measure YY, would be the largest in the school system’s history and the third that voters have passed for the district since 2008.

If approved, San Diegans would see their property taxes rise by an estimated $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The tax increase would last for 39 years and the bond measure would end up costing taxpayers $7.5 billion after factoring in interest.

Measure YY has been advertised to voters as one that would lower lead levels in drinking water and upgrade school infrastructure to protect students from school shootings. Both the school district and bond supporters pointed to Michigan’s lead-in-drinking-water crisis and this year’s Parkland, Florida, school shooting as reasons for pursuing a third multi-billion dollar bond measure within 10 years. The bond measure allocates $45 million to lowering lead levels in drinking water.

The bond measure would pay for much more than just safety and security, however. It would also fund repairs of aged schools, classroom technology and new or upgraded facilities for athletics, visual and performing arts, science, technology, engineering and career technical education. The measure also sets aside $588 million specifically for charter schools.

The measure was criticized by some as being exorbitant borrowing for a district that already has a roughly $2 billion in unused bond funds from two previously approved bond measures, Propositions S and Z. Critics, which included school board challengers Tom Keliinoi and Marcia Nordstrom, also pointed out that Measure YY mentions types of projects that were already promised under Propositions S and Z, which were passed in 2008 and 2012 respectively. In the midst of San Diego’s affordable housing crisis, they argued that the district doesn’t deserve another tax increase.

Measure YY was also one of only two school bond measures on Tuesday’s ballot to be recommended for a “no” vote by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

San Diego Unified encompasses 226 educational facilities and about 122,700 students, according to the district.